Chapter 450
Marina was nothing if not confident.
Maybe Jonathan no longer felt the way he did about her back in high school. But as long as she held onto Rina’s identity, she knew Jonathan would never let anyone lay a finger on her.
Joker glanced at the message Marina had sent and replied with a dry, “Heh.”
News of the Fraser family’s bankruptcy spread like wildfire, and it hadn’t taken long for Niamh to hear about it too.
Today, Preston had invited her to the Grand Riverview Hotel.
The hotel had once been acquired by the Fraser family, but after their financial collapse, it eventually landed in the hands of the Winslows.
The Winslow Group already owned a chain of luxury hotels called The Violet Majestic, so it made sense for them to snap up the Grand Riverview at a bargain.
Still, walking through the familiar lobby made Niamh a little nostalgic.
“Life really is unpredictable, isn’t it?”
Preston, strolling beside her, understood exactly what she was thinking.
“My dad always says, ‘What goes up must come down.’ In business, everything can change in a heartbeat–one day you’re on top, the next you’re out.”
He caught the skeptical look in Niamh’s eyes and shrugged, a little defensively.
“Hey, don’t give me that look! Sure, I come from money, but I’m no spoiled brat. I actually help out with the family business–okay, maybe I’m no Jonathan, but still!”
He rubbed his nose and grinned sheepishly.
“Anyway, the reason I asked you here today is because I wanted to talk business.”
As he spoke, Preston suddenly reached for her hand.
Before Niamh had a chance to react, he’d already led her over to a marble statue in the center of the lobby.
“Now that the Winslow/Group owns this place, I want to give it a complete makeover. I was hoping you could help me out–give me your opinion?”
“Me?” Niamh blinked in surprise, hastily pulling her hand free from his.
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He hadn’t held her hand long, but her skin was already damp with sweat
Niamh glanced around, a little flustered. The temperature in the hotel was perfectly comfortable–so why was Preston’s palm so clammy?
“I’m hardly an expert in interior design. If you needed advice on jewelry, maybe, but–”
“You don’t have to be so modest,” Preston said, patting his chest confidently. “You’ve got great taste–I trust your eye.”
And just like that, Niamh found herself roped into being Preston’s unofficial consultant, trailing after him as he led her on a tour around the Grand Riverview, room after room.
By the time the sun had set, Preston suggested they stay for dinner.
That invitation didn’t surprise Niamh at all.
After all, the simple, elegant yellow dress she was wearing had been a gift from Preston. If all he wanted was her opinion on the décor, there’d have been no need for her to dress up like this.
It was obvious Preston had planned this dinner all along.
They were seated by the window, with a sweeping view of the city lights twinkling outside.
A candle flickered between them, and a few rose petals were scattered across the tablecloth.
Thankfully, just petals–nothing that would trigger Niamh’s allergies.
Niamh had never imagined she’d be sharing a candlelit dinner with Preston. Not -after all those times he’d called her “old maid” to her face, especially after Marina
had returned to town.
The thought of Marina made her face darken.
“What’s wrong? Don’t like the food?” Preston asked, instantly picking up on her mood shift.
Before Niamh could answer, Preston raised a hand to summon their server.
“Can I help-” The waitress’s voice cut off abruptly.
Niamh looked up–and nearly fell out of her chair.
“Susy?”
